The last may not have been heard about the collection of the controversial transaction fees at Nigerian airports, seaports and land borders as the National President of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFFN) Dr. Frank Ukoh has called for proper investigation and possible prosecution of associations who have been collecting practicing fees without accounting for them.
The last may not have been heard about the collection of the controversial transaction fees at Nigerian airports, seaports and land borders as the National President of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFFN) Dr. Frank Ukoh has called for proper investigation and possible prosecution of associations who have been collecting practicing fees without accounting for them.
Dr. Ukoh whose petition to the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) had last year triggered an investigation by the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) called for possible jail terms for associations that have been collecting practicing fees at the ports without any documentation or accountability.
In an interview with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday, Dr. Ukoh who has also been invited by the ICPC alongside other bigwigs in the maritime industry alleged that he has been harassed on countless occasions as a result of his refusal to pay this money at the port simply because his association is not carried along in the sharing process.
Speaking further, he said, “If you do what is wrong you can go to jail, President Obasanjo went to jail, and if a whole president went to jail then who are you, if you do what is right then nobody will take you to jail, this money you collect from the port is public money, it is community funds, and anybody that embezzles community wealth will be in trouble”.
Explaining the reasons for the petition which was written by himself alongside president of other freight associations who have claimed not to be carried along in the scheme of things, the AREFFN president explained that there is need for sanity in the maritime industry.
“My reasoning is that we should call them to give account of these money, by the time they give account of the money, a lot of people will not be struggling to get into positions, it will no longer be a case of collecting whatever you like, pocket it and nobody ask you anything, we want to bring sanity into this industry”, he stated.
He alleged that only two associations in the industry have been collecting the transaction fees over the years and that it is being collected all over the ports in Nigeria.
“They are collecting this money at all the airports, they are collecting at Port Harcourt, my coordinator there just called me that they are collecting money from their members, they write this money along with debit notes that is issued”.
“They are collecting at Tin Can, the one at Apapa is well organized because they deduct it from source, they are collecting from most of the ports and they pretend as if they are not” he said.
Dr. Ukor also said that if the matter is properly investigated, it will make the perpetrators to be more careful and respect accountability. It will also put a stop to flying of containers from the port because at any point in time people may be called to come and give account of their operation.
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